Let the Tea Party Begin - Again

The Political Eruption In Massachusetts

I can finally say I am proud to have been born in Massachusetts...for reasons related to politics. Sure there were all those sports titles in the 2000's but this is different. When talking about politics and Massachusetts, I could not really hold my head up. Tonight with the election of Scott Brown to the Senate I am quite pleased and I can hold my head up.

Original Boston Tea Party - For those who don't know, this election is filled with irony. Here in the US many point to the Boston Tea Party as the beginning of the American Revolution. At that 'party' a group of citizen decided to protest the taxes levied by the British on tea. Lead by such men as Samuel Adams, they protested by boarding ships in the harbor and throwing the tea into the ocean. They took special care not to destroy property or steal the tea and profit from it. They were sending a message back to the King of England...we don't want your taxes.

Republican Senator from Massachusetts - Fast forward to 2010. In the very same commonwealth where the Tea Party was held , they elect a senator, Scott Brown, from the opposition party in essence to prevent socialized medicine from becoming the law of the land. This in a state where they have not elected a senator from the Republican party for almost 40 years to a seat held by one man for almost a half century. It was in a very real sense a modern Boston Tea Party.

Why Now? - I have a theory about why this happened but for now it is funny to watch all the finger pointing going on. All the Washington elites are saying what a terrible candidate Martha Coakley was and how she blew the election. I say rubbish. As the current attorney general she won statewide elections. She ran in a primary to run as the democratic nominee for this seat. Up until a couple of weeks ago she had a 20 point lead. She knows how to play politics and she has shown she can win.

The problem is what she represents. She represents the establishment in Washington who t listen to the people. They think they can give politicians hundreds of millions of dollars for their votes (Louisiana and Nebraska) and political payoffs to unions in the form of exemptions from taxes paid on health care plans that others have to pay. When Mr. Brown was out campaigning for votes listening to the people. Ms. Coakley was playing the Washington elitist part of hosting a fundraiser with a bunch of health care lobbyists.

Ms. Coakly was an honest democrat. She paid the political price for being honest about who she was and who she represents. She represents a party who wants more government, socialized medicine, more debt, higher taxes. The people of Massachusetts were tired of the arrogance of politicians who practice back room deals. Tired of elitists who don't want to listen to the people. Tired of the condescension toward the ordinary average American.

Why Politicians Need to Listen to The People - The big lesson here is not to make fun of people who elect you. The best and simplest example of this goes back to the tea party movement. Those who don't want more debt, they don't want health care run by the government, in fact they want less government and they are trying to make their voices heard. Instead they are being called radicals or nut cases. They are being made fun of by elitists who call them 'tea baggers'...which requires a side not all unto itself.

Side Note on the term 'Tea Baggers' - For those who don't know "tea bagging" is a deviant sexual practice where the male uses a part of his appendage that could remind one of bags of tea in close approximation to the face of another. This term has been co-opted and misused to describe those involved in the Tea Party Movement. This means those who use the term are either ignorant or malicious.

Senator Brown From Massachusetts

Listen to the People

Back to the main point. History is full of examples where
politician did not listen to the people. In a tyranny, this is not a
problem because the people have difficulty in exerting power. In a
democracy, it is a different story. This is just another example of
when politicians think they are smarter and better than the people who
elect them and the people struck back. Like the Boston Tea Party that
marked the beginning of the American Revolution, if the politicians of
today don't start listening to the people, the people will find and
elect others who will. Let the Tea Party Begin!

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Comments

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Tom T 7 years agofrom Orange County, CA

@Peggy W - All I can say is from your words to God's ears.

Peggy Woods 7 years agofrom Houston, Texas

Yes...I think the November elections are going to show what people are really thinking about the turn in the direction our country has taken. November can't come soon enough!

Author

Tom T 7 years agofrom Orange County, CA

@Garynew - I agree and that is why they are going out of business

@howtofindit - I hope and pray you are right about November. We need to roll back just about everything done since 2008 elections

howdoifindit 7 years ago

Something tells me that there are many more who agree with the Tea Party movement who don't show up at the rallies. My bet is that come November, they will show up at the polls in droves.

garynew 7 years agofrom Dallas, TX and Sampran, Thailand

Good hub. Have you noticed how the media is now attempting to portray the Tea Party-ers as racists? Would be funny if not so predictable.

Author

Tom T 7 years agofrom Orange County, CA

@GreatAmerican - Sorry to hear you are a bit down about the Tea Party. I think the less 'organized' it is the more real it will be. At first the elitists in Washington did not think much of it. The MA election got their attention. By not being organized and sponsored, they are not tied to some corporation. It is truly grass roots. That is power and it scares politicians.

@tony0724 Thanks. Hopefully more people will agree with us sensible folks!

tony0724 7 years agofrom san diego calif

Tom I completely agree with your assessment . Well done.

greatAmerican 7 years ago

Tom, I wish I could be as optimistic about the Tea Party, but I have concerns regarding organization and leadership. In order to be a major player in the political arena both these issues must be addressed. While the left continues to follow Saul Alinsky's rule for radicals,,

'ridicule is a radicals most powerful weapon' constantly

ridiculing the Tea Party as racist, the Right, Republicans are making an effort to co-opt the Tea party. I fear the politics of power will cause the Tea Party to self destruct!

Author

Tom T 8 years agofrom Orange County, CA

Lady E - Wish everyone else agreed with us!

James - Big fan and you humble me with your compliment.

James A Watkins 8 years agofrom Chicago

Arrogant, condescending elitists. I'd say that about describes the leadership of the Democratic Party. I love your Hub. It is great!

Elena 8 years agofrom London, UK

I'm glad you are happy about Senator Brown's election and agree with you that Politicians should listen to citizens.

Cheers.

Author

Tom T 8 years agofrom Orange County, CA

Thanks AW & AB... I to really do have hope for us. All I can say is the good lord looks in mysterious ways.

Angela Blair 8 years agofrom Central Texas

Amen -- Mass. has made a statement for the whole country and in and of itself that's a huge thing. There's hope for this union yet and the cohesiveness is still there if we can just keep getting our point across to those that don't want to hear it. God bless the folks in Mass. and a sincere thank you from the rest of us. Super Hub and right on the money. Best, Sis